It is a common stereotype that women’s football, or any sport in which women compete, will always be less popular. The result of this popularity “contest” is that the men’s sports, and in particular football, get a lot more money, if those are wages, sponsorship and broadcast deals, and overall budget for clubs, national teams, and associations.
There are several indications that the status quo is changing, in terms of perceived and actual popularity of women’s football. Two games, both played in Wembley, in 2012 and 2019 have attracted more than 70,000 fans each. The average ratings of Women’s World Cup in 2019 have increased by 106%, compared to the previous one in 2015, and even then, it could have been higher if not for the time difference with the US, where it is more popular. Several players have become entrenched in popular culture, like US’s Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.
GWI researched the issue as part of their 2021 sports report and revealed several surprising findings. 36% of male football fans follow women’s football, which is a significant number considering football’s global popularity level. These numbers show that with appropriate conditions, women’s football can be greatly popular as well and is deserving much better funding by the authorities.
We at Stari believe that equality is a fundamental principal, and it is our duty to showcase the brilliance of women’s football. By working on diminishing any real or fake gaps between the genders in the sport, we hope to increase investments in women’s football.
Leading by example is important, as our VP, Yof Hadar-El is an accomplished woman, with vast experience in sports journalism and several other football-related projects. Next, we invest resources in scouting talented women footballers, as we do with the men. Finally, Stari is proud to create and distribute women’s football content in our app, website, and social media.
There have been and will be setbacks in women’s fight for equality in funding and popularity of football. We believe that football belongs to everyone, and it is a moral obligation of our generation to ensure that anyone who enjoys or plays it – shall, regardless of their gender.
